
Malaysian property tycoon Ong Beng Seng pleads guilty to obstruction in Iswaran case
The Malaysian businessman who played a key role in bringing the Formula One (F1) race to Singapore, admitted to the charge related to a December 2022 trip to Qatar, which Iswaran had accepted Ong's invitation for, The Straits Times (ST) reported.
A second charge of abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts will be taken into consideration for sentencing.
His guilty plea came after multiple pre-trial conferences and court adjournments since he was first charged on Oct 4, last year.
The prosecution said Iswaran did not pay for his flight to Doha or his return flight to Singapore, nor for hotel accommodation.
Iswaran had travelled to Doha on Ong's private jet, while his hotel stay and return business-class flight were paid for by Singapore GP Pte Ltd (SGP) under Ong's instructions.
In October, Iswaran was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment by the High Court after pleading guilty to four charges of obtaining valuable items as a public servant and one count of obstruction of justice.
The obstruction of justice charge relates to the S$5,700 Iswaran repaid to SGP for the cost of his business-class flight from Doha to Singapore in 2022.
The prosecution said Ong also knew that Iswaran's act of making the repayment was likely to obstruct the course of justice, ST reported.
Principal District Judge Lee Lit Cheng has set sentencing for Aug 15. Ong's bail of S$800,000 has been extended.
In mitigation, Ong's defence team stated that he suffers from multiple myeloma, a type of cancer, rendering him immunocompromised and at risk of endangering his life in prison if he contracts an infection.
The prosecution accepts that the exercise of judicial mercy is warranted in Ong's case and does not object to the maximum fine for him instead of imprisonment, according to ST.
– Bernama

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Luxury cars seized in RTD crackdown over expired road tax
SHAH ALAM: Four motorists, including a woman from China, were forced to return home using e-hailing services after their luxury vehicles were seized by the Road Transport Department (RTD) last night. The vehicles were impounded after they were found to have been driven with expired road tax during a five-hour special operation, dubbed "Ops Pengarah," conducted by the Selangor RTD. The operation started at 8.30pm at the Kota Kemuning Toll Plaza along the Shah Alam Expressway (Kesas). The seizures began when personnel stopped a Mercedes-Benz S400 driven by a woman from China. Upon inspection, they found she was driving a vehicle without a valid road tax or insurance for over a year. The 41-year-old woman, who is married to a Malaysian, was also driving without a valid driver's licence. Personnel then detected another case involving a 25-year-old Malaysian man who explained that the Toyota Vellfire MPV he was driving had been purchased just three months ago. He said the luxury MPV was bought by his brother through a "sambung bayar" (loan takeover) arrangement with the original owner. The man said he had informed the original owner to renew the road tax, but the owner claimed he could not do so because of outstanding summonses. Both motorists were forced to take e-hailing rides home as RTD officers seized their vehicles. Meanwhile, RTD Selangor director Azrin Borhan revealed that from January to July this year, a total of 16,735 offences were recorded involving individuals driving without a valid licence. "Of that number, heavy vehicle drivers made up the largest group with 7,116 cases, followed by motorcyclists (6,596), car drivers (2,576), and public transport operators (447)," he said. "For the same period, there were also 25,338 road tax-related offences." It was recently revealed that some owners of high-powered luxury vehicles are allegedly choosing not to renew their road tax and insurance because the fines are cheaper.


The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Singapore court delays judgement on Pannir Selvam's execution appeal
SINGAPORE: The Singapore Court of Appeal has reserved its judgement on Malaysian death-row inmate Pannir Selvam Pranthaman's post-appeal application. The decision follows a second hearing held on Wednesday, where the Ministry of Home Affairs' execution scheduling policy was closely examined. Pannir Selvam's legal team argued that the policy was applied unequally, violating his constitutional right to equal treatment. Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon clarified that Article 12 of the Constitution does not prevent policy changes but ensures they are not unfairly discriminatory. His lawyers contended that the MHA failed to justify why delays in executions were only granted for state-led cases, not private legal proceedings. Deputy Senior State Counsel Terrence Chua defended the policy, stating state proceedings serve public interest, unlike individual cases. The court noted that if the policy creates unfair distinctions without rational basis, it could breach Article 12. After over an hour of arguments, the bench reserved its decision, leaving Pannir Selvam's fate pending. Dressed in a purple prison uniform, Pannir Selvam remained composed as his siblings watched from the public gallery. He was convicted in 2017 for trafficking 51.84g of diamorphine and sentenced to mandatory death. Despite multiple appeals and clemency petitions, his execution was scheduled twice, in 2019 and 2025. The latest stay was granted under Singapore's PACC Act, allowing post-appeal applications for capital cases. - Bernama


The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Notorious gang leader killed in shootout
Reign of terror: Police collecting evidence at the scene of the shootout along Jalan Bukit Tunku, Kuala Lumpur. — Bernama KUALA LUMPUR: A notorious local gang leader with a long criminal record was killed in a dramatic shootout with the police on Jalan Bukit Tunku here. The 4.10am operation yesterday was part of a special initiative codenamed 'Ops Api KL', led by the Bukit Aman Crime Investigation Department (CID) in collaboration with the Kuala Lumpur Police. Acting Bukit Aman CID director Deputy Comm Datuk Fadil Marsus said the 36-year-old Malaysian man was believed to be the mastermind behind a criminal syndicate involved in house break-ins, armed robbery and drug distribution across Kuala Lumpur, Perak and Selangor since last year, resulting in more than RM1mil in losses. 'The suspect, who was shot dead at the scene, is believed to be the leader of a gang that has been actively targeting homes and business premises with safes, gold and cash,' he told reporters. Also at the scene were Sentul OCPD Asst Comm Ahmad Sukarno Mohd Zahari and other CID officers. DCP Fadil said the suspect opened fire on police when they attempted to intercept him while he was allegedly surveying the area for potential robbery targets. 'A shootout ensued and the suspect fatally shot on-site. 'Several bullet holes were found on a police vehicle. A revolver was recovered from the suspect.' DCP Fadil said the suspect had 44 offences on his criminal record. Checks on the luxury vehicle driven by the suspect revealed that it was using a fake registration plate and is believed to have been smuggled in from a neighbouring country, he said. 'Investigations suggest that gang members sometimes pose as police officers and are also linked to a drug distribution syndicate. 'Efforts are ongoing to track down the remaining individuals involved,' he said.